JD Vance Mocked as an 'Embarrassment' After Mistakenly Comparing Rival Democrats to Flatulence: 'Is He a Toddler?'
JD Vance was criticized for a slip-up at a recent campaign rally.
Sept. 23 2026, Updated 4:48 p.m. ET
Vice President JD Vance calling his political opponents the “f-rt left” instead of the “far left” sparked backlash from critics, RadarOnline.com can report.
The slip-up occurred during his September 21 campaign stop in Greensboro, North Carolina, while he was supporting Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley.
JD Vance's Slip-up Explained
JD Vance claimed that he meant to say 'far left.'
Vance was referring to the political left as he campaigned for Whatley, who is challenging former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper for the U.S. Senate seat. Just moments before his gaffe, Vance had criticized Cooper for what he described as bending to the “far left.”
“And because we need somebody who will actually fight back against the ‘f-rt left,’ we need Michael Whatley in the United States Senate,” Vance said to applause.
The crowd then began chanting “Michael” as Vance looked around the room.
JD Vance Corrects Himself
JD Vance said the 'fake news' would 'accuse' him of using bad language.
“Now, you may not have even heard that, but I actually - I usually don’t misspeak - but I just called them the ‘f-rt left,’ not the ‘far left,’” Vance said.
The vice president then insisted the wording was accidental.
“So to the fake news, who will accuse me of bad language," he continued, "I promise I did not mean to call them the ‘f-rt left.’ I meant to call them the ‘far left.’”
JD Vance Mocked by Critics Online
JD Vance was called out by left-leaning figures online.
Vance’s remarks did not go over well with non-MAGA, with several prominent left-leaning figures saying he stinks.
Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern wrote on X: “JD Vance has the charisma of a trash can.”
Author and podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen responded: “The charisma of a paper bag.”
Tommy Vietor, co-host of Pod Save America, quipped: “This joke would kill at middle school.”
Another critic on X called Vance and the Trump Administration an "embarrassment."
A separate X user chimed in, "Is he a toddler? Even my kids wouldn’t have found this funny after 3rd or 4th grade."
JD Vance's Other Unscripted Moments
JD Vance joked he'd buy a protester's flight to Mexico.
This is far from the vice president's first time taking jabs – accidental or not – at critics or political opponents in unscripted moments.
Earlier in September, he responded to a protester waving a Mexican flag at a rally.
“What the people at home missed is that we just had a protester interrupting us and waving the Mexican flag,” Vance said. “Well, my friend, if you love Mexico so much, get your a-- over there. I’ll buy you the plane ticket.”
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JD Vance Makes a Dig at Democratic Rep
JD Vance has faced criticism for his comments in the past.
In February, Vance took a jab at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after she paused before answering a question about Taiwan at the Munich Security Conference.
“Now, I’m tempted, sir, just to freeze for 20 seconds and just stare at the cameras, and maybe they’ll say nice things about me like they do about Congresswoman Cortez,” he said.
Ocasio-Cortez later responded: “The only thing longer than my pause to think was their silence to his joke.”
As Radar previously reported, he was also recently ridiculed for asking frustrated voters to give the GOP "another chance."
